


It's amazing what baking can do

by HopeSilverheart



Series: Loving Em at 2AM [8]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Baking, But Maia loves her anyways, F/F, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, Isabelle Lightwood Can't Cook, Neighbours, slight humour
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-01
Updated: 2020-06-01
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:54:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24480838
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HopeSilverheart/pseuds/HopeSilverheart
Summary: Isabelle has had a crush on her neighbour for as long as she can remember.When she moved into a small apartment with her brothers for college, she hadn’t expected their neighbour to be a beautiful young woman with enchanting eyes and the brightest smile Isabelle has ever seen.Or: Isabelle has a huge crush on her neighbour, accidentally drags herself into a baking exchange, and falls in love along the way.
Relationships: Isabelle Lightwood/Maia Roberts
Series: Loving Em at 2AM [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1764400
Comments: 2
Kudos: 22





	It's amazing what baking can do

**Author's Note:**

  * For [thatnerdemryn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatnerdemryn/gifts).



> title is from waitress' 'what baking can do'

Isabelle has had a crush on her neighbour for as long as she can remember.

When she moved into a small apartment with her brothers for college, she hadn’t expected their neighbour to be a beautiful young woman with enchanting eyes and the brightest smile Isabelle has ever seen.

For a while, she had admired the woman from afar. They had waved at each other when they crossed paths, but it had taken five months for Isabelle to gather up enough courage to ask for her neighbour’s name.

She ended up asking for it in the worst way possible, and her brothers have teased her about it ever since that day. Because for some reason, instead of a simple greeting and question, the first thing Isabelle ever said to her neighbour was ‘ _I’m baking for my family and always make too much. Do you want some_?’

The woman had grinned so widely, immediately talking to Isabelle about all the recipes she had come up with over the years, and Isabelle hadn’t corrected herself. The woman told her she was called Maia, and Izzy had fallen a little bit more I love.

It’s been six months since that fateful first day, and the baking has never stopped. Every Sunday like clockwork, either Maia or Izzy bakes something and gifts it to the other. More often than not, they end up sharing their food, but it’s the thought that matters. At least, that’s what Maia always says.

As much as she loves their baking dates – which aren’t really dates at all – Isabelle can’t help but wish for more. She wants to take Maia out properly, wants to introduce her to her friends and family as something other than ‘ _my neighbour who I have a huge crush on’_. It’s easier said than done, though, especially when Izzy is faced with someone as confident and stunning as Maia.

It’s rare for Isabelle to find someone who matches her in fierceness, but Maia definitely does. It’s wonderful and terrifying and Izzy doesn’t know what to do about it. Perhaps that’s why it takes her six months to do something about that pathetic crush of hers.

In the end, she only confesses because she’s pretty sure she’s already in love with Maia, and she can’t continue torturing herself with this sexually tense friendship they have going on. And once she’s decided to tell Maia about her feelings, she knows there’s only one way for her to do that.

“You want to bake her a cake that showcases your love for her?”

Izzy glares at her brother. Alec is staring at her incredulously, speaking slowly as though Isabelle is a particularly dim child.

“Yes, Alec,” she snaps. “I don’t see what’s so strange about it. Baking is me and Maia’s tradition, and I think she’ll appreciate the gesture. Besides, unlike _you_ , she always loves everything I make. I’m going to take full advantage of finally having someone in my life who appreciates the efforts I make for them.”

“Iz, I appreciate your efforts plenty,” Alec chuckles. “As long as they’re made far, _far_ away from the kitchen. But if you think this is the right thing to do, then go ahead. You’re planning on doing this right now, aren’t you?”

“I am,” she answers, narrowing her eyes at her brother suspiciously. “Why?”

“No reason,” her brother smiles innocently, before checking his watch. “Oh, would you look at the time? I have a date with Magnus in a little while and promised him we’d get ready together. You have a nice time getting ready for your confession. And please be careful.”

For a second, Isabelle thinks he means for her t be careful with her heart, but then she catches on to his train of thoughts and throws a dishtowel his way. He dodges it and slips out of their apartment before Izzy can say anything else, and the brunette huffs silently at his ridiculous behaviour.

Her cakes are perfectly fine, thank you very much. Her brothers just have sensitive palettes that can’t handle her fine cuisine. She’s definitely gotten a lot better in the past few months, what with all the baking she’s been doing for Maia.

Still, Alec’s words ring in her ears and she decides to settle for an easier recipe she mastered months ago. The heart-shaped biscuits are romantic, sweet, and strawberry-flavoured, which just happens to be Maia’s favourite. Izzy smiles confidently and starts working, humming, and dancing as she mixes the ingredients together.

She’s ready in less than an hour, her biscuits looking a bit darker than they should be but smelling delicious. She knows Maia is home studying for a biology exam later that week, and she only hopes the other woman won’t slam the door in her face as soon as she sees her.

Yes, Isabelle knows the chances of that happening are low, but it’s still _technically_ a possibility. Not that it stops her from hurrying up the two flights of stairs that separate her from Maia. She almost drops the biscuits twice, but they make it to the fifth floor completely – _mostly_ – unharmed and whole, so Izzy doesn’t worry about them too much. She has a neighbour to seduce.

She knocks on Maia’s door but enters before her crush answers. It’s become a habit, ever since that time when Isabelle had to wait outside for half an hour as Maia showered. Neither of them mind having the other around, so they tend to let themselves into each other’s apartments without warning. It gets on Alec and Jace’s nerves, but _she_ never complains when they bring their significant others, so they’ve wisely never asked Maia to stop coming over.

“Maia?” she calls out, grinning when she spots the curly-haired girl sitting cross-legged on the floor, her brows furrowed in concentration, books scattered everywhere around her. She looks up as soon as she hears Izzy, and her frown is immediately replaced by a bright smile.

It makes Isabelle’s heart melt and her mind preen. She loves being the centre of Maia’s attention, and loves knowing the other woman enjoys her presence as must as Izzy does hers. She especially loves seeing Maia like this, relaxed and in her element, still dressed in her pyjamas. It’s a side of Maia not many get to see – just as Maia is one of the few who get to see Isabelle at her worst – and another reason why Izzy loves her.

“Izzy,” Maia greets her, standing up and pulling her into a hug. A strange look clouds her eyes for an instant as she spots the biscuits, but it’s gone in an instant. Isabelle figures she must be confused about the presence of baking products on a day other than Sunday. “Are we celebrating something?”

Izzy shrugs, placing the plate of biscuits onto Maia’s coffee table and making herself comfortable on her neighbour’s couch. She’s more stressed than she’s been in years, but there’s no reason to make things worse by sitting on the floor next to Maia.

“Maybe,” she answers, fidgeting with her sleeves. “It depends on you, really.”

Maia raises her eyebrows, clearly waiting for Izzy to elaborate. Of course she’s not going to make things easier for Isabelle, _of course_. When it comes to Isabelle and Maia, everything’s a bit of a competition; there’s always a need to surpass the other, and that applies to conversations as well. The first one to cave and talk is the loser of that round.

Isabelle couldn’t care less about their competition right now.

“It’s just… Look, I’m not good at making grand gestures, okay?” Izzy grimaces, hoping Maia will understand where she’s going with this. When the other woman sits up straighter, Izzy gulps and keeps talking. “We’ve known each other for almost a year now, and we’ve been baking together for half of that time. I might be imagining things, but I really like you and I think… you might like me too?”

Oh god, she sounds like a middle schooler. She sounds like a 12-year-old girl trying to tell her crush she wants to go out on a date or kiss them. If Maia liked her before, there’s no way this didn’t just ruin everything. Could Izzy have sounded any more immature?

Maia stifles a laugh and Izzy blushes a dark red. She’s two seconds away from standing up and running out of the apartment when Maia catches her wrist and kneels in front of Isabelle.

“You’re ridiculous, Izzy,” she rolls her eyes fondly. “But yes, I really like you too. You know, for someone who’s usually so eloquent, you’re strangely inarticulate when it comes to your feelings.”

“Yes well excuse me for getting flustered around pretty girls.”

“Oh, I wasn’t complaining,” Maia chuckles. “On the contrary, really. I find it adorable. I just wish you had done this months ago, before we started the baking exchange. Or did you not like me yet, back then?”

“I definitely did,” Isabelle winces, not wanting to be reminded of that godawful first introduction again. “But the baking has been nice, hasn’t it? I even made those strawberry biscuits you loved the first time around! I think I cooked them a little bit too long, but I’m sure they’re fine.”

“Isabelle,” Maia is gaping at her, and Izzy isn’t sure why. Is Maia really surprised by the gesture? Baking has been their _thing_ all along. “You do know…?”

“What?” Izzy frowns.

Maia shakes her head bemusedly and stands up suddenly. Izzy pouts, thinking Maia is about to leave, but then her neighbour leans down and presses a kiss to the crown of her head, and Isabelle’s brain short-circuits. She forgets all about Maia’s strange attitude and tilts her head up, hoping for more of the woman’s kisses.

“I can’t believe you,” Maia laughs loudly, lowering herself onto Izzy’s lap and covering the brunette’s lips with her own. Izzy sighs into it happily, loops her arms around Maia’s neck, and thanks the lord for whoever made her blurt out a stupid line about baking the first time she met this gorgeous woman.

After that, Maia always insists on being there when Izzy bakes. She doesn’t really understand why, but she’s not about to complain about spending more time with her girlfriend. Even her brothers, who were reluctant to share their space with Maia before, are suddenly more than willing to have her around.

Izzy is perfectly happy, and so is everyone else. It’s a win-win situation.

**Author's Note:**

> Heya guys! Thank you so much for reading! I promise this is the last fic of the night! Once again, it is unbeta'ed and probably has more than a few mistakes (since I wrote it later than I did the others). Still, I hope you enjoyed this short and sweet fic based on my neighbour and I's weekly baking exchange. 
> 
> Love, Junie. 
> 
> (find me on tumblr @hopesilverheart)


End file.
